A Squared Enterprises, LLC - Albuquerque, NM
Former Senior Airman Arnold A. Bosch retired after 26 years as a biomedical engineering technician for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), where he maintained and repaired medical equipment. Prior to his time with VHA, Bosch served as an integrated avionics component test specialist during his four years in the Air Force, handling maintenance and repairs of black boxes for fighter aircraft.
With so much technical expertise under his belt, as well as having learned maturity and self discipline from his time in the military, Bosch decided it was time to go into business for himself. With the help of his wife, Amy, he decided the Internet would be a great place to get their business rolling, as well as add some excitement to their lives.
“We wanted to supplement our pension and besides, I wanted some reason to get excited about rolling out of bed in the morning,” Bosch said. “It seemed like a logical and healthy idea.”
“Whatever we decided to do, most of all we wanted it to be positive and helpful to people,” Bosch said. “After much research and serious thought, we decided that nonlethal self-defense and video security would be just the ticket.”
A Squared Enterprises, founded in 2004, sells nonlethal self-defense products for businesses and individual consumers such as stun guns, pepper sprays, surveillance devices, personal alarms and more. The company originally had two Web sites, one for nonlethal self-defense products and another for state-of-the-art video surveillance products. In summer 2007, the two Web sites were consolidated into one, www.highdesertprotection.com. While Bosch regards his self-taught Internet skills as questionable, both Web sites have garnered success, yielding a modest $16,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2006.
The Albuquerque business owner attributes his initial success to determination, positive attitude, honesty, fairness and innovative marketing ideas. Despite suffering setbacks, such as ill-fated encounters with “disreputable Internet experts,” Bosch faces each day with dogged determination and renewed optimism. He is currently working to regain search engine rankings which suffered due to radical redesign of the Web site, but takes all the good and bad in stride.
He said, “I still survive!”
Written by Michael Crawford
